Page 1: Welcome!

The questionnaire is composed of five sections, looking at regulation of emptying services for faecal sludge from pits and septic tanks in your city, how you perceive the rules and the support, incentive and sanction mechanisms in place in your city, along with what you find most useful.

Participant information

Before you decide if you would like to take part, we would like you to understand why the research is being done and what it would involve for you. You are welcome to contact us and talk to others about the study before making a decision if you wish.

Please read carefully the Participant Information and Confirm your consent. This will take a few minutes.

What is the purpose of the study?

This study looks at how sanitation can be improved in cities in developing countries. We study how pit latrines and septic tanks can be emptied in a safe, affordable and sustainable way.

The aim of this study is to gather operators’ perspectives on regulation for the emptying and management of faecal sludge in place in the cities they work in, including their prioritisation of the most appropriate measures to ensure adequate services.

Who is doing this research and why?

This study is part of a PhD Student research project supported by Loughborough University.

Are there any exclusion criteria?

People under 18 years of age and people unable to give proper consent are excluded from this study.

What will I be asked to do?

This study will consist of three rounds of online surveys over the next few months. This first round will be longer (around 30 minutes) than the next two rounds (around 15 minutes each). The surveys can be completed online from any computer with access to the internet.

In this first round you will be asked initial questions about your company and your work.

Then, questions will relate to the regulations applying to emptying services in your city, the sanctions, support and incentive mechanisms in place to ensure they are respected.

Finally, we will ask you questions about your opinion about these regulations and mechanisms.

Once you have completed this first round, the investigator will contact you to complete the second and third rounds when they are open.

Once I take part, can I change my mind?

If at any time, before, during or after answering the surveys you wish to withdraw from the study please just contact the main investigator (see details below). You can withdraw at any time during data collection, for any reason and you will not be asked to explain your reasons for withdrawing.

Please note that once the results of the study are aggregated and anonymised (expected to be by end of September 2020), it may not be possible to withdraw your individual data from the research.

Are there any disadvantages or benefits linked to participating in this study?

There are no anticipated disadvantages or risks in participating in this study.

No payment or disbursement will be given to respondents.

Data Protection Privacy Notice

Loughborough University will be using information/data from you in order to undertake this study and will act as the data controller for this study. This means that the University is responsible for looking after your information and using it properly.

What personal information will be collected from me and how will it be used?

Personal information that is being collected as part of the study is limited to: your name, contact details, work affiliation and title. This will be used to allow participation to the second and third rounds of the survey, to ensure participants answer the survey only once, and to disaggregate data analysis.

What is the legal basis for processing my personal information?

Personal data will be processed on the public task basis. While individuals’ rights to erasure and data portability do not apply, you do have a right to object.

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), some of the personal data which will be collected from you is categorised as “sensitive data”. The processing of this data is necessary for scientific research in accordance with safeguards. The study has gone through an ethical committee to ensure that the appropriate safeguards are put in place with respect to the use of your personal data.

How long will my personal information be retained?

We will keep identifiable personal information about you until the study is completed and the results have been published. This is expected to be by December 2021.

Will my personal information be shared with others?

Your personal information will only be shared with the investigators involved with the study.

Will my taking part in this study be kept confidential?

Yes, your name and work affiliation will be kept confidential.

Following analysis of data, indirect identifiers will be removed, by generalising workplace information and occupation.

No name or identifiers will be present in the publications of the study.

How will the anonymised data/results collected from me be used?

The results of the study will be used in a PhD thesis report and may be used in journal publications, articles, or conference papers.

How long will the anonymised data/results be retained?

Anonymised results will be archived permanently on the Loughborough University’s Data Repository. Access to that data will be restricted to the purposes of future research.

If you are not happy with how the research was conducted, please contact the Secretary of the Ethics Approvals (Human Participants) Sub-Committee, Research Office, Hazlerigg Building, Loughborough University, Epinal Way, Loughborough, LE11 3TU. Tel: 01509 222423. Email: researchpolicy@lboro.ac.uk